Selected as the 55th draft pick this year, Bronny James joined LeBron James as the first active father-son duo in the NBA. And while that part was exciting, there was so much the young guard had to prove, and not just to the critics. Remember the recent issue that popped up about how Bronny’s teammates were unhappy that he was getting all the attention, while the more deserving players felt robbed of opportunities and all this because he carried the James surname?

Although nothing was proven, with Gilbert Arenas going as far as dissecting the author and the publication for putting out false information, when even the alleged teammate(s) called the writer out, it still brought one of the more concerning aspects of No.9’s position in a storied franchise like the Los Angeles Lakers. Does he deserve to wear the Purple & Gold?

Jeanie Buss thinks that the least they can do is give him a chance to prove it. “We have to let the kid have an opportunity to play and prove that he should be in a Laker uniform,” Buss said during a special episode of the AM 570 LA Sports, streaming live from the Vans Headquarters, Costa Mesa.

It is an argument that makes sense. But the reality is never as simple as that, is it? 

Did Jeanie Buss and the Lakers do more harm than good by drafting Bronny James?

Before the cardiac arrest, Bronny was considered a top prospect. And he had his stats to back him up – an average of 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game as a senior at Sierra Canyon. But coming back from the nightmare of an injury, his performance took a back seat. In the 25 games that Bronny James played at USC, he averaged modest numbers – 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.

Needless to say, this was the biggest talking point going into the NBA draft season. In addition, his agent, Rich Paul’s stringent conditions for any team wanting James Jr., while pretty much scaring away anyone not named Lakers with the threat that Bronny would play in Australia if they drafted him, made things awkward, to put it mildly. Just how bad was it?

“I think they have done him a tremendous disservice… I think that they have gone so over the top in this that they’ve put a target on the poor kid’s back. It’s sort of detracting from them being just a basketball team,” Seth Partnow said of Jeanie Buss and the Lakers during an appearance on The Lowe Podcast. 

It is certainly a tough position to be in, no doubt. With the kind of disappointing season LA has had and Rob Pelinka’s too-apparent failings over the years, and now this; it did raise a lot of questions. Even so, as Buss noted, no one can question the heart and drive of Bronny. “‘He works hard, he’s dedicated and he wants to do this. If we can have a roster of players with that same mentality, then I think the sky is the limit,” Jeanie further added.

What do you think? Can Bronny James reach the bar set by Buss? Or will forgetting that he is still a developmental prospect come back and bite them? Share your thoughts below.

 Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.